Marina

Marina, original name Malintzin, also called Malinche or Doña Marina, (born c. 1501, Painalla, Mexico—died 1550, Spain), Mexican Native American princess, one of a group of female slaves given as a peace offering to the Spanish conquistadors by the Tabascan people (1519). She became mistress, guide, and interpreter to Hernán Cortés during his conquest of Mexico. The success of his ventures was often directly attributable to her services.

Renouncing her indigenous name, Malintzin, on her conversion to Christianity, Doña Marina served her adopted countrymen with dedication. Her intelligence and tact and her knowledge of the Maya language of the coast and the Nahuatl language of the interior extricated the Spaniards from many perilous situations. She bore Cortés a son, Martín, and later married one of his soldiers, Juan de Jaramillo, with whom she journeyed to Spain, where she was warmly received at the Spanish court.